We called into the Criterion Hotel on spec. It sounded good, but the rates quoted in the September 2008 edition of the Lonely Planet were pricey. For a nice change, the rooms were cheaper than expected. Rather than $180 per night, a double was $130 and a single $70, including a hot cooked breakfast in the "snug" - a nice old-fashioned dining room in this superb heritage pub.

Upstairs, there's one room with an ensuite (maybe it's the one that's $180) and five or six with shared facilities. All have been lovingly restored.

If you've sworn off rooms with shared facilities, make an exception for the Criterion. The rooms are small but beautifully decorated, the shared bathrooms are spotless and there's a well-stocked guest kitchen and a stylish and spacious sitting room overlooking the corner. Some rooms have sea views, but we chose two on the street side since the double was slightly larger. As it turned out, we were the only guests so we had the run of the... more